Hair trimmer



July 11, 1950 LEEDY 2,514,774

HAIR TRIMMER Filed Oct. 12, 1948 2/ 7 8 JNVENTOR. 450449120 1? A'LEEDV cei-ving member removed.

' on line 8--8 of Fig. .l.

Patented July 11, 1950 HAIR TRIMlVIER Leonard F. Leedy, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Charles '1. Blanchet, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 12, 1948, Serial No. 54,055

Claims.

,The present invention relates to improvements in hair trimming devices adaptedfor trimming short, long and intermediate lengths of hair and forthinning thick heavy hair.

This invention further relates to improvements in the hair trimming implement described and claimed in my co-pending application filed December 2'7, 1946; Serial No. 718,77 8.

Important objects of my present improvement are: e

To provide-improved means for pivotally connectin the parts of the trimming device together whereby they are selectively adjustable relatively to each other; to provide improved means for holding the trimming blades in their operative positions within the blade receiving member; to provide; improved means: for feeding the hair obliquely to the blades cutting edges, whereby a shearing action results; to provide positive, adjusted. cutting positions for the blade receiving member when trimming different lengths of hair; and further to provide a new mode of assembling whereby the article is rendered less expensive by virtue of the fact that less material is used, the device as a further result being, lighter, simpler to construct, and easier to operate.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

I Fig. 3 is a bottom planview of the blade holding member shown in Fig. l with a pairof conventional safety razor blades operatively mounted .thereon for trimming the hair.

Fig. 4 is a spaced-apart view of the combmember, blade receiving. memberland securing nut which holds adjustably the various parts in their assembled relation. The' plane of section of this .view is taken on irregular line 44 of Fig. 1.

I Fig. 5- is an enlarged transverse section taken Ion line 5--,-5 of Fig. 1...

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary top plan views I showing offeneutral positions of the blade receiv- ,ing member.

Fig.8 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken Referring in detail to the drawing, therein is and blade fresentially of a comb member 2 (Fig. 2), blade receiving member 3 (Fig. 3), having a chambered or recessed portion containing a pair of conventional safety razor blades 4 and 5, and a securing nut 6 (Fig. 8) adapted to screw onto a threaded stud 1 carried by the comb member and Working in a slot 8 in the blade receiving member for adjustably securing the various parts in their assembled relation.

The comb member 2 is provided with a handle portion 9 which broadens into a head portion In by means of symmetrically struck arcs I l and I2 emanatin from each side edge of said handle portion, said head portion being rounded at its outer end by a slight curve l3.

The blade receiving or containing member 3 is likewise provided with a handle portion l5 which broadens into a head or blade containing portion [6 of lesser width than the head portion ID of said comb member by means of symmetrically struck arcs I! and I8 emanating from each side edge of said handle portion l5, said head portion I 6 being rounded at its outer end by means of a curve l9 which is contoured and dimensioned the same as the aforesaid curve l3.

A pivot pin or stud 20 is carried in the outer part of the handle portion of said blade holding member 3, said stud being located at the midwidth of the device and cooperating in the assembled device with a seat 20a provided for it in the handle portion of the comb member 2. By this means, When the aforesaid nut 6 is loosened, a pivotal adjustment of the blade holding member in relation to the comb member may be eifected.

The elongated slot 8 has its long sides struck by radii whose center is thatof the pivot 20 and surrounding said slot is a shelf area 2| against which the inner face of the nut 6 impinges when such nut is tightened to maintain the blade hold ing member in different adjusted positions in relation to the comb member. Said slot 8 lies within an area which is not within either the handle portion or the head portion, but within the expanded area between the two portions so that when the handle is gripped, one is not con scious that the connecting medium exists and at the same time space is minimized in the head portion in which the trimming blades are mounted. I 4

The head portion Ill of the comb member has cut into the opposite side edges teeth which extend into such head portion to form comb sections or guard teeth 22 and 23 which cooperate respectively with the outer edges 24- and 25 of the trimming blades 4 and 5 when such blades are moved varying distances to overlie the teeth to accommodate the particular length of hair being trimmed.

It will be observed that the teeth (22 or 23) of each row of guard teeth, do not extend at a right angle to the long axis of the device, but, from their inner to their outer ends are inclined somewhat toward the handle portion thereof. Also, the teeth of each row progressively shorten in a uniform manner toward the handle portion of the device, the inner side of each row of teeth extending along a line which is substantially parallel to the long axis of the implement, but the outer side of each row of teeth being ata slight outward inclination, its distance from the midwidth line of the implement progressively in! creases in a uniform manner away from the handle-carrying end of the implement. Dimensioning and positioning the teeth 22 and 23 in the manner just stated makes it easier for the operator to apply the razor blades 4 and 5 to the hair with a desirable shearing movement, instead of in a directly right-angular manner.

When the implement is adjusted as shown in Fig. 6, to cut short hair, it is requisite that the comb teeth 23 all project substantially the same distance beyond the outer edge of the razor blade 5. This needful condition for cutting short hair is obtained as a result of the outer side portion of each row of teeth inclining, as aforesaid, toward the handle end of the implement.

From Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that the blade containing plate 3 has a slight rise 36 extending along the midwidth of its blade-carrying end portion, said rise bridging the space between the twin blade holding recesses 3!. Said recesses are deepest near said rise 30, and become shallower (not much wider than the thickness of the contained blades) when they reach the roots of the comb teeth. Along the midwidth of each said recess a low rib 32 extend from said plate 3 to interlocl; with the conventional slit of the Gillette type of razor blade. The aforesaid increase in depth of said recesses 3i toward the rise 30, and resultant decrease in its depth toward the outer edges of the blades is, to cause the latter to be gripped only near their outer edges.

In using this hair trimmer, the outer face of the blade-holding member is directed toward the scalp at all times. When the device is adjusted to the neutral position, shown in Fig. 1, the operator may hold it in his right hand and cut the hair of medium length on the right hand side of his head. This neutral position is also the position in which to adjust the tool to cut hair of medium length by his left, hand, applying the tool'to the opposite sideof his head. I i 7 When it is desired to cut shorter hair, the blade holding member is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 6, for left hand use on the left side of the head; and when similarly adjusted to the opposite side, the device is adapted, when held in the right hand, for use in trimming the hair on the right side of the head.

For trimming long hair the blade holding member is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 7 for cutting hair on the left central portion of the head with the device held in the left hand; and when similarly adjusted to the opp site side from that shown in'Fig. '7 the device, when held in the right hand is adapted to trim long hair on the right half of the head.

In, the position shown in Fig. 6 the stud l is at the right hand end of the slot 8, and when 4 adjusted to the limit of its adjustment in the opposite direction, said stud is at the left hand end of said slot.

From the foregoing explanation it will be obvious that when the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 6, with the stud 1 engaging the right hand portion of the slot 8, two different lengths of hair may be trimmed without further adjustment. That is to say, short hair on the left half of the head may betrimmed by holding the device in the left hand and long hair may be trimmed on the right half of the head by simply transferring the device from the left hand to the right hand. The converse is true in regard to the positioning of the parts shown in Fig. '7.

I claim:

1; In a razor blade holding device for trimming hair, an elongated blade receiving plate provided at one end with a handle forming portion and at its opposite end with a broadened part, thelatter part having opposite side edges which extend approximately parallel to the axis of said handle portion, said broadened portion of said plate having at one side a flat face and having its opposite face slightly convex from side to side throughout the space between its aforesaid edges, said fiat face of said broadened part of said plate having at each side of its midwidth a recess positioned to have fitted into it a conventional double edged razor blade with an edge of the latter projecting slightly beyond the adjacent edge of the plate in a cutting position, a comb member consisting of an elongated plate having a handle portion positioned to overlie the aforesaid handle portion of the first recited plate, so that the two handleportions combine to form a handle for the implement, said comb member having opposite to its said handle portion an end portion slightly broader than the broadened portion of said blade receiving plate and with a flat face to engage and hold in place a pair of razor blades contained in said recesses, said comb member having integral with it, along each side edge of its said broadened part a row of comb teeth positioned to form a guard for the adjacent edge of an aforesaid razor blade mounted in therecess at that side of the midwidth of the implement, said blade receiving plate having a pivotal connection with said comb member, located near the outer end of the handle portions of the two plates, and means located in a spaced relation to said pivotal connection to secure the two plates in an adjusted relation to each other, thus regulating the lengths of comb teeth which project at each side of the device beyond the cutting edges of the razor blades. f

2. Thesubject matter of claim 1, and said means for holding said two plates in adjusted relation to each other comprising atransversely extending slot in one of said, plates adjacent to the juncture of the handle portion of said plate with its broadened portion, a threaded boss projecting from the other plate into said slot, and a nut screwed onto said boss, said nut being of a greater diameter than said slot.

3. .In a hair trimmer, an elongated backing plate forming a comb member,. said plate having a broadened end portion with guard teeth along its opposite side edges, said plate throughout the remaining portion of its length being shaped as ahandle, an elongated front plate constituting a holding member for conventional razor blades, saidtwo plates having flat faces which abut each other, said front plate having in one of its end portions blade holding recesses positioned to contain razor blades between said plates, the remaining portion of the length of said front plate abutting flatwise against the aforesaid handle portion of said backing plate to complete the handle of the implement, said two plates being pivotally connected to each other in their said handle portions, so that edge portions of said front plate may be selectively swung to different positions in relation to said guard teeth to expose difierent lengths of the latter beyond the edges of conventional razor blades carried by the device, and means releasably to secure said two plates in their said adjusted relations.

4. In a razor blade holding device for trimming hair, two elongated cooperating plates each of which has a broadened end portion and a handle portion occupying the remainder of its length, means pivotally securing the handle portions of said plates to each other so that said plates abut against each other in a flatwise manner, one face of the abutting broadened end portion of one of said plates being recessed to receive between the two plates a razor blade of the Gillette type with a cutting edge of said blade projecting slightly beyond a side edge portion of the broadened end portion of said recessed plate, clamping means carried by the midwidth portions of said plates releasably to secure them in different positions of relative pivotal adjustment about the aforesaid pivotal securing means, said clamping means being located farther from the handlecarrying end of the device than said securing means, the plate which cooperates with said recessed plate having along each side edge of its broadened part a row of teeth forming guard teeth for the aforesaid projecting razor blade edge, the outer side of said row of teeth as it approaches the handle end of the device inclining toward the midwidth of the latter so that when the broadened end portion of the plate which carries the guard teeth is adjusted with only the tip portions of its guard teeth projecting beyond the adjacent edge of said recessed plate,

said tooth tips will all project substantially the same distance beyond the mounted razor blade.

5. In a razor blade holding device for trimming hair, two elongated cooperating plates each of which has a broadened end portion and a handle portion occupying the remainder of its length, means pivotally securing the handle portions of said plates to each other so that said plates abut against each other in a flatwise manner, one face of the abutting broad end portion of one of said plates being recessed to receive between the two plates a razor blade of the Gillette type with a cutting edge of said blade projecting slightly beyond a side edge portion of the broadened end portion of said recessed plate, clamping means carried by the midwidth portions of said plates releasably to secure them in different positions of relative pivotal adjustment about the aforesaid pivotal securing means, said clamping means comprising an elliptical recess formed in the outer face of said blade carrying plate, the long axis of said recess extending transversely of said plate and a slot less in width than said recess extending transversely of the plate through the part thereof underlying said recess, a threaded stud upstanding from the other plate and fitting loosely in said slot, and a nut screwing onto said stud, said elliptical recess afiording a clearance in which said nut moves during the pivotal adjustments of said plates in relation to each other.

LEONARD F. LEEDY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,311,438 Copus July 29, 1919 1,356,799 Thompson Oct. 26, 1920 1,789,234 Keenan Jan. 13, 1931 2,067,619 Perlson Jan. 12,, 1 937 

